Definitions

from The Century Dictionary.

  • In a superfluous manner; with excess; in a degree beyond what is necessary.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adverb In a superfluous manner.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adverb in a superfluous manner

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

superfluous +‎ -ly

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Examples

  • "I'm hurrying," she called superfluously back as she fled to the floor below.

    The Wishing-Ring Man Margaret Widdemer 1931

  • ( "superfluously," as she says) to induce Piozzi to settle in England.

    Samuel Johnson Leslie Stephen 1868

  • The fact that most people want to help, rather than harm, is what allows war correspondents to return to conflict zones, again and again, despite being unarmed, mostly ignorant of local language and culture, only superfluously familiar with the geography and the politics of each new place, and famously loaded with cash and therefore an easy target for scorn and robbery.

    Peace Meals Anna Badkhen 2010

  • He'd acted all gallant as he superfluously guided her into their cab but that was six long hours of travel ago.

    The Outlaws 2010

  • However should not be avoided whenever possible, but unless you use it with good judgement and restraint, you run the risk of using it superfluously, inappropriately, or both.

    October « 2008 « Sentence first 2008

  • However should not be avoided whenever possible, but unless you use it with good judgement and restraint, you run the risk of using it superfluously, inappropriately, or both.

    However 2008

  • The fact that most people want to help, rather than harm, is what allows war correspondents to return to conflict zones, again and again, despite being unarmed, mostly ignorant of local language and culture, only superfluously familiar with the geography and the politics of each new place, and famously loaded with cash and therefore an easy target for scorn and robbery.

    Peace Meals Anna Badkhen 2010

  • Though I know these practices are all perfectly normal in our society, being pampered and served superfluously just makes me feel, deep down, useless and bored.

    Reason For Not Eating Out #41: Because I Don’t Need to be Doted On 2010

  • Good arguments and, in the case of literary criticism, compelling readings can indeed be made in a "short" blog post; some arguments and analyses would greatly benefit, in fact, if they were confined to 1500 words or so and shed themselves of the formulaic padding "long" forms sometimes superfluously require.

    Statement of Purpose 2008

  • Most men, even in this comparatively free country, through mere ignorance and mistake, are so occupied with the factitious cares and superfluously coarse labors of life that its finer fruits cannot be plucked by them.

    Rob Kall: Living in and Falling Out of The Vein of Gold 2009

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